From 14 to 16 May, the EU-funded project BIM4Ren held its second meeting, hosted by the Research and technological development centre Tecnalia in Derio, Spain. Starting in October 2018, BIM4REN is a Horizon 2020 project involving 23 partners spread across 10 countries for a 4 year long series of developments on the topic of the exploitation of BIM potential for the energy renovation of existing buildings for the whole construction value chain.
On the occasion of this project meeting, the technical progress and results were discussed, specifically during workshops on how to design BIM tools for construction and renovation according to the pilot sites findings in Spain, France and Italy. Stakeholders’ requirements, workflows and key performance indicators were at the heart of exchanges during the first two intensive days. The partners also had the opportunity to visit the headquarters of Tecnalia, with the impressive Kubik experimental structure for zero energy buildings.
BIM4Ren Workshops in Derio
On 16 May, the Spanish construction SME Kursaal Green, a BIM4Ren partner specialised in insulation systems for facade retrofitting, conducted a visit of the pilot building in San Sebastian. This building is a concrete and bricks historic house on the sea side that requires a facade renovation, for which thermal insulation has been allowed for the first time under strict aesthetic criteria. There are also BIM4Ren pilot buildings in Venice, an 1883 building transformed into a residence for students, and Paris, a 1970 flats buildings.
San Sebastian pilot building visit
BIM4Ren pilots have highlighted so far all the difficulties in finding centralised and correct information on targeted buildings in general, especially detailed measurements and plans, as well as the lack of efficient collaborative tools for actors in the construction value chain and the absence of digital tools for renovation processes.
The BIM4Ren partners are now assessing the results of the initial survey about the BIM implementation in renovation processes, while at the same time proceeding with further internal technical exchanges and engaging in dialogue with other stakeholders and H2020 sister projects.
